Mississippi Is Giving Elvis a Huge Honor

He had Grammys and platinum records to spare, and this week, more than 39 years after his death, Elvis Presley was given yet another honor: The King of rock and roll is one of the newest members of the Mississippi Hall of Fame.

This latest batch of honorees includes Evelyn Gandy, who was the first woman elected lieutenant governor of the state; Dr. James Hardy, a transplant surgeon; former state representative Aaron Henry, who was a civil-rights activist; and Ida B. Wells, who was a journalist and women's rights advocate.

"The contributions and accomplishments of these five Mississippians are astonishing, and a true testament to the character of the people of the state," Mississippi Archives and History Director Katie Blount said in a release.

Presley and the other inductees will be honored with portraits hung in the Senate chamber of the Old Capitol in downtown Jackson.

Getting into the state’s Hall of Fame is no cake walk. Those chosen must be either native-born Mississippians or people who moved to the state. They must be dead for at least five years. New members are chosen every five years, and each group is limited to five inductees.

The state's Department of Archives and History had this to say about Presley’s life and contributions: “Presley was born in 1935 in Tupelo, and his parents bought him a guitar for his 11th birthday. He developed a musical style that combined pop, country, gospel and rhythm and blues. Presley released seventeen chart-topping albums during his lifetime, starred in more than 30 movies, won multiple Grammys and the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award, and was inducted into multiple music halls of fame. He died at home in Memphis, Tennessee, in 1977.”